Boarding schools -- England -- Juvenile fiction; Boys -- Conduct of life -- Juvenile fiction; Schools -- Juvenile fiction
"Just remember, you youngsters," said he, "no one is going to the
meeting to-morrow from our side."
"Oh?"
"Any fellow who goes will get it hot, I promise him."
"Ah! What about our conditions? What have you done about them?"
"Put them in the coal-scuttle; and I've a good mind to put all five of
you there too, for your impudence."
"Ah!"
The captain turned on his heel, with a final warning.
"That settles it, you chaps," said Percy, when he had gone. "We go."
"Rather," replied everybody.
CHAPTER FIFTEEN.
SOMETHING WRONG IN THE ACCOUNTS.
Fisher major sat in his study after morning class, next morning, the
picture of boredom and perplexity. Lists of names, receipt-books, cash-
box, bills, and account-books were littered on the table before him.
Between these and a cobweb on the ceiling his troubled looks travelled,
as he gnawed the end of his pen, and passed his fingers aimlessly
through his hair.
There was something wrong; and what it was he could not for the life of
him make out. To any one familiar with Fisher major's business--or,
rather, unbusiness--habits, there was nothing wonderful in that. He was
happy-go-lucky in all his dealings. He could receive a subscription one
day, and only remember, in a panic, to enter it a week after. His money
he kept all over the place; some in his desk, some in the cash-box, some
in the drawer of his inkstand. He had a vague idea that he had a
special reason for dividing it thus--that one lot may have belonged to
the School clubs, another to the House clubs, and another to something
else. But which was which it passed his wit to remember.
He had had his doubts of the business all along. His friends had urged
him to take the office, and with their help he had persuaded himself its
duties were simple and easily discharged. He had determined he would do
the thing thoroughly well. He had bought these account-books out of his
own private purse, and spent an evening in beautifully ruling them in
red ink, with one column for the date, one for the name, and three for
pounds, shillings, and pence. He had procured two letter-files,
labelled respectively "Club" and "House," into which to put his
receipts. And he had provided himself with a dozen elastic bands and an
equal number of paper-fasteners. What more could a treasurer desire?
Alas! the beautiful account-books got mixed up with one another, the
letter-files remained empty, and the elastic bands somehow did duty as
football garters. The Club accounts were scrawled, for the most part,
in pencil on the backs of envelopes, awaiting a grand transcription into
the books; and the receipts, pending a similar fortunate time, where
huddled away in the drawer with Greek verses and letters from the people
at home.
Things had now come to a pass. The captain had yesterday suggested
that, in view of the meeting to-day, it would be well to have the
accounts made up, so as to be able, if called upon, to state exactly how
they stood financially.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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